Scripture says without faith
it's impossible to please God, doesn't it? Impossible to worship Him. You
cannot worship God without faith. Turn back to 1 Thessalonians
chapter 3. The title of the message is Paul's
love for the Thessalonians. I was sitting here looking at
this as Frank was reading it and I noticed the title up over
it, Paul's Great Love for the Thessalonians. I didn't catch
that today. At least we're on the same page. Paul's love for the Thessalonians.
I thought today while reading this, what a great difference to Paul's affections and love
for them and Jonah's for the Ninevites. Well, Jonah was upset. He was on that hill and he was
upset. You know, people talk about years ago, you know, I
used to think Jonah just didn't want to preach. Jonah didn't
want God to have mercy on those Ninevites. That was the problem. I used to think he just didn't
want to go and preach. No, he didn't want God to save
those Ninevites. He would have been jumping up
and down with joy if that thing would have rose up and smoked.
God had to teach him a lesson. But Paul here, this Pharisee,
this used to be Pharisee, this old Pharisee whom God saved, he greatly rejoiced when God
saved Gentiles. Paul knew that in Christ we are
all one. It doesn't matter if we're black,
white, yellow, red. It doesn't matter. In Christ,
we are all one. And Paul loved all the churches
of God. He loved them. One place he said
the care of all the churches came upon him daily. Daily. He was so concerned for them
and so thoughtful of them, he prayed
for them daily in the care came upon him daily. They were always
on his mind, never off his mind. He spent his whole days praying
and searching the Lord's will for his people. And his love
for them was real. It was real. He truly endured
all things for the elect's sake. Those for whom the Lord Jesus
Christ died for. And he says here in verse 1,
Wherefore, when we could no longer forbear. Listen to this language
he uses as we go down through here. He said we could no longer
forbear. Paul's heart ached. It ached to hear from the believers
in Thessalonians. Like a parent's heart would ache
to hear from their child that was moved away. He said our hearts
ached to hear from you. If you go back over in Acts,
I'm not going to turn over there, but over in Acts 17, you'll see
where Paul preached to them for about three weeks. And then he
was just taken away from them. He was taken away from them.
And he lost contact with them. He couldn't, he wasn't in contact
with them. And it felt to him like the separation
of a parent and a child. That's what he was experiencing.
And his heart ached to know how they were doing. And so he sent
Timothy to them to find out what their status was, to find out
how the church at Thessalonica is doing. Paul sent them the
most trusted helper he had, Timothy. And Paul needed Timothy. He needed
Timothy with him in Athens to help him with what was going
on there in Athens. But Paul thought so much of that
church in Thessalonica, he said, it's better off that I be left
here alone. And Timothy, you go find out. You've got to go
down there and find out. I can't take it anymore. He says,
I can't stand it anymore. You've got to go down there and
find out what's going on with that church and help them and
comfort them. He goes, I know they're in a battle. He says,
I know because of the circumstances he left under, he knew they were
in a battle. But I tell you this, I thought
about this today. Paul preached to them for about three weeks.
Some think longer, but he preached there for three weeks and he
was just taken away. He had to be taken out of there
for his life, for his life's safety. And he was troubled about
him, thought a lot about him, and it was never off his mind.
But I tell you this, the Lord knows how to take care of his
own, whether I'm here or not. It's good. We want the pastor's
presence, you know, any congregation does. But it's far greater we
have the Lord's presence. Far greater we have His presence.
He knows how to take care of His sheep. He died for them. He'll keep them. He'll protect
them. So Paul sent Timothy down there.
Even though he had to face a lot of trouble, he denied himself. And he denied himself for the
Lord's people. The scripture says, he that loves
his life shall lose it. The powerful statement is we
read over that so many times and one day you read it and it
hits you. One day you read it and you have
to live it. He that loves his life shall
lose it. He who loses his life for my sake and the gospel shall
find it. A great part of a believer's
life is denying himself. He's denying himself. A person
said here not too long ago, this was told to me, said, I
just want to live my own life. This is a person who professes
to believe the gospel. I just want to live my own life
and be left alone. Well, you don't have a life without Christ.
Our life is His. Our life is His. It's no more
what I want. It's what is the Lord's will
in this matter, whatever this matter is. That's the attitude
of a believer. We are His servants. We are bought
with a price. We are not our own. We belong
to Christ. We belong to someone. Thank God
we belong to Him. We serve His interests. And it takes a while to learn
that too. It takes a while through trials and troubles for the Lord
to bring us around to where we realize we serve His interests. We serve the interests of the
body of the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ is the object of our worship
and our service. So Paul sends them a minister
of God A fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ. He sends them
the best. He sent them the best. He didn't
just get an errand boy and send him down there and find out what's
going on, come back and tell me. He sent them someone down
there that could be very profitable to them. He sent them the best. He sent Timothy. Timothy had
been sitting under Paul for a while now. He learned some things.
And he said, Timothy, you go down there and help those people.
And here's the purpose he's sinning for, to establish, to establish
them into faith, to strengthen their faith. I don't know of
any faith that doesn't need strengthening, do you? I don't believe I'll
ever or you will ever reach a point in this life where our faith
does not need strengthening. And he said, you go down there
and you comfort them, you comfort them about About me, things are
going alright. Things are going as God purposed
them. You go down and comfort them.
You comfort them with the Word of God. Comfort one another with
these words. Take the Gospel to them and comfort
their hearts. Nothing comforts the heart of
the Lord's sheep like just the preaching of the Gospel. That's what comforts the heart. You go down and you build up
and you supply that which is lacking. They were just young.
Everyone, everyone in that congregation was a babe. Could you imagine
that? You know, this congregation is sprinkled with some seasoned,
some veterans, some people who believed for a long time. Everyone
in that congregation was a babe. It was a babe in Christ. And Paul thought about them as
his children. He said, you go down there. And
you build them up, and you help them, and you exhort them, encourage
them, comfort them. See how things are going. Paul
was always building up the body of Christ. Always. He always sought the good of
the Lord's people. And he says here in verse 3,
that no man should be moved by these afflictions. where yourselves
know that we are appointed thereunto." They saw how Paul was treated.
They saw how he was treated over the preaching of the gospel and
being young converts, all of them babes in Christ. He knew
they would be perplexed about what was happening to him, the
Lord's servant, and about what was happening to them as believers. Have you ever run into anything
perplexing? Well, I have. I've run into some things perplexing.
You start to think, why? But after a while, you learn
to just trust Him more than ask why. You learn to trust His wisdom. Scripture says He's infinitely
wise. He's good. The Lord is good. A stronghold
in the day of trouble. You really begin to learn to
trust Him You don't understand and you can't understand. I don't
know that you would in this life. But you learn to trust Him. And
that's what Timothy's going to do. He's going to preach to them
and exhort them and comfort them and teach them to just trust
Him. I can't overstate that. Can't
do it. But trials are to be expected.
Our Lord said, with much tribulation shall ye enter the kingdom of
heaven. We should never be disappointed afflictions as though God were
all from some place and it happened and he didn't know about it or
he couldn't do anything about it. No. No. They are appointed. We live in
a world that hates God. Now that's so. We live in a world
that hates God. Christ said, if they have hated
me, they will hate you. We live in a world of evil. Now the Lord said the whole world
lies in wickedness. Not parts of it. Not the eastern
part or the western part. It's all. He said the whole world
lies in wickedness. And it's in darkness. So don't
be surprised by the evil treatment received by the world, especially
the religious world over the gospel. Don't be surprised by
it. Especially when it comes out
of the religious world. Because these afflictions are appointed. This is a great comfort to believers.
I find it to be a great comfort, this. I find this to be a great
comfort. My afflictions, the things that I have suffered,
the things I do not understand, are appointed by my Father. Satan has absolutely no power
against any of God's children, he cannot bark, he cannot move
anything unless the Lord says, okay. And if he says, okay, you
can go this far. Go read the book of Job. Each
time he told him how far he could go, didn't he? Each time he said,
you can go this far, but don't touch his life. He had to get
permission and he had boundaries. said every time. Appointed. God has appointed
all our afflictions. And He does this because they
help remove the dross of sin. You know, I do what you call
babbit bearings. Most of you, probably all of
you don't even know what that is. Well, Cecil would know what
it is. They go in motors. Take that
babbit and you melt it. And after you melt it, 820 degrees,
900 degrees, you melt it down and you take the dross off from
it. You know, every time I've melted the same babbit in the
same pot, I keep taking dross off from it. There's never been
a time that I melted that babbit, the same babbit that I just,
you know, I can put 800 pounds in a pot and use 200 pounds of
it. Then the next time use 50 pounds
of it. And then, you know, so on. And every time I do it, I
get dross. I got to pull the dross off of
it. You'd think sooner or later that you'd get all that out of
it. I haven't. And all these afflictions is
helping to remove the dross. And there's dross there every
time. Every time. And then it strengthens faith.
It does. I can tell a difference. Talking
to someone that's been in the faith 50, 60 years and someone
that's been in the faith 3 or 4 years. You can tell a difference. You can tell a difference in
their talk and the way they talk concerning the scriptures and
the way they talk concerning the Lord. You can tell a difference. Those
who've been around for a long time and those who've been around
a short time. It strengthens faith. And then
it weans us from these earthly cares. We have a whole lot more
of them than we care to admit. But they wean us. And that's
one of the things that I have picked up on in talking to these
older believers. They're ready to leave these
things, more than the younger ones are. Much more ready to
lay them aside. And then it causes us to set
our minds and our affection on things above, where our Lord
sits. These afflictions help do that. Afflictions never run
a believer off. If they leave, because they never
believed in the first place, and they're disappointed that
they're afflicted, Paul says, you shouldn't be moved by these
afflictions. Move to apostasy. Shouldn't be moved by them. They're
appointed. Paul said, we told you these
things in verse 4. We told you. You know, Paul was told by the
Lord that he would suffer many things and he would be put in
prison, he would be bound. The Lord told him these things.
He said, when you go to these places, you might as well expect
it. They're either going to run you out of town or lock you up.
It's going to be one or the other. That's what he says over there
in Acts 20. He said, you know, the Lord told me this. And so
don't be surprised when it happens. Don't be surprised. Afflictions
and disappointments will always be a part of a believer's life. Always. But here's a good attitude I
thought today. This scripture came to my mind.
I should have looked it up. But David said this. Here's a
good attitude. Why art thou cast down, O my soul? Hope thou in
the Lord. For with the Lord is mercy. David
said, why are you cast down? Speaking to himself, why are
you cast down? Oh my soul, why are you so down today? Hope thou
in God. There's mercy. Mercy's on your
heels. Mercy's on its way. Actually,
your head's about with mercy. Even when you cannot see it,
the sun is always shining. Even when you can't see it. Remember
this. And this has been quoted many,
many, many times. In Romans 8, all things are working
for your good. Now that's hard to comprehend
when you're going through it, isn't it? It's hard to comprehend
when it's just a dark cloud and there's no sunshine. But we take God at His word,
don't we? God said it. God said it. And we'll just trust
Him for it. And Paul says in verse 5, for
this cause he feared that they may be staggering, these young
converts, may be staggering under the heavy persecution from their
fellow men. He said for this cause, this
is why I sent Timothy to you. And he was afraid that Satan
may have caused some of them to apostatize. Let me read something
to you over here in Hebrews chapter 10. Hebrews chapter 10. Look in verse 32. Paul says, But call to remembrance
the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured
a great fight of affliction. That's when the fight starts,
isn't it? Oh, when the gospel comes, when you're born of God,
the fight starts inward and outward. You have an inward conflict.
Before the gospel, you didn't have that. You didn't have any
more conflict. You were just trying to figure out how to do
what you wanted to do. But after you were illuminated,
you endured a great fight of afflictions. Partly while you
were made a gauging stock, they thought you weird, both by reproaches
and afflictions, and partly whilst you became companions of them
that were so used. For you had compassion of me
and my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing
in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and enduring
substance. You gave these earthly things
because you know the Lord will take care of you. He already
has taken care of all the heavenly things we need. He said, Cast
not away therefore your confidence. I had to underline that. Don't
cast away your confidence in God, which hath great recompense
of reward, for we have need of patience. After you have done
the will of God, you might receive the promise. For he had a little
while, and he that shall come will come. And he will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith.
But if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in
him. But we are not of them who draw
back into perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of
the soul." Paul was afraid that Satan may
have come in It's like the Galatians. Paul
said, who hath bewitched you? And this just troubled him. Just
troubled him. So he sent Timothy down there
to find out what was going on and preach the gospel. And Timothy
comes back. And Timothy comes back with good
news. Oh, he comes back with good news. Over in Proverbs 25,
25, it says, As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news
from a far country. He comes back with good news.
Timothy came back and he said, Paul, the church is doing well. Paul hadn't had any contact with
them since he was taken out of there. He said, the Lord has
taken care of his people. They still believe God. They
still believe God. And they love one another. Paul,
they have a good remembrance of you. They love you, Paul.
Oh, how they love you. I'm sure glad the church is in
his hands. We depend on him, don't we? We
depend on the Lord Jesus Christ to keep us. And he said, Paul, they still
believe God and love one another. These two graces Always go together. Faith and love. Where you find one, I promise
you this, you'll find the other. You cannot find faith, the person
says, I believe God, and not love the brethren. And not love,
now really, not love all men in general. Faith and love go
together. You cannot believe God and not
love one another. That's not even possible. It's
not possible. They had a good remembrance of
Paul, and they loved him. They believed the gospel he preached,
and they wanted to see him again. Oh, they wanted to see Paul as
much as Paul wanted to see them. And this just made his day. This
just made his day. He says in verse 7, Therefore,
brethren, we were comforted over you in all our afflictions and
distressed by your faith. He was under heavy trials here
in Athens. I mean, he was under heavy trials.
The trials just never let up on Paul. They never let up. We can't even begin to imagine
what all he was going through there. But they never let up. The philosophers, the Stoics,
and the Epicureans, they was coming at him from all sides.
But when he heard the good report Well, when he heard the good
report, it revived his spirit to fight on. Don't you know,
don't you know, the next morning when he got up, he was ready
to preach the gospel with a fervency that he hadn't had for a while.
He walked out that door and he was ready to preach. It revived him. It's amazing
what a word in season will do for us, isn't it? Don't ever think that what you
have to say is not important. Word and season. My, my, my.
Paul said, for now we live. Now we live. Now we are alive. Energetic. If you stand fast
in the Lord. He drew energy. Paul drew energy
from their steadfastness. It was as if new life had been
breathed into him. This is what it says over here
in 3 John. Over here in 3 John, we went through this here not
too long ago. 3 John, verse 3. He says, For I rejoiced greatly
when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee,
even as thou walkest in the truth. I have no greater joy than to
hear that my children walk in truth. Paul could say the same
thing. I have no greater joy than the
good news I just heard about you. Oh, it was a joy to him. And I don't know of anything
that can sink the heart of a pastor than to hear that so-and-so,
someone that you've preached to for years, has departed. Demas,
he said, hath forsaken me, having loved this present I don't know
of anything that could sink a pastor's heart more than that. I don't know of anything that
would break the heart of a farmer. I thought of this example. Who
plows, and he sows, and he works that garden, and there's no harvest. Or if there is, it varies fairly. When the crops begin to grow,
and rifle, they become a great joy to that farmer. That's what
Paul says back over here in this chapter at the very end of chapter
2, for you are our glory and joy. You're the harvest. You're the harvest. And Paul gives fresh thanks When
Timothy comes and he says, they're doing fine. They believe the
gospel. They love one another. They're growing in love. They
are bonded together. They love you, Paul. They want
to see you, Paul. He broke out in fresh thanks
to God. Of course, I've been studying
this all day. I can just sit and just see in
my mind, Paul, his heart being lifted up and strengthened because
of the good news that came. of this church, and he'd thank
God all over again. In the beginning of this, he'd
thank God for them. He said, when I heard the good news, I thanked Him
again. Fresh thanks. Fresh thanks ought to always
be given, shouldn't it? It ought to always be given to God who
causes us to triumph in the Lord Jesus Christ. He's the one who
causes us to triumph. He's the one. And it's always
a call for thanksgiving when we hear of the sole prosperity
of other believers. Not just ourselves, but other
believers in other places. It rejoices our hearts when we
hear of the churches in Mexico and how they're doing, doesn't
it? It rejoices our hearts to hear the brethren down there. They're our brethren. Brothers
and sisters down there, as well as here. When one member of the
body prospers, We all prosper. There's not a member of this
body, if it's doing well, my whole body enjoys it. My whole
body enjoys it. And Paul didn't just, and I hate
this term, say a little prayer. Somebody said that sometime,
not none of you. They said, say a little prayer for me. I hate
it. There's no such thing as a little prayer. If you've got
a little God, you can say a little prayer. If your God is little,
then your prayers ought to be little. Any just a groan is a great prayer. But Paul said here, praying exceedingly,
fervently, praying that God would bring us together again, and
that He would make me to be a great blessing to you. That God would
bring us together. That He would direct our way
unto you there in verse 11. He would direct our way providentially.
And this is the way we want to be brought together. Providentially. That God would direct our way.
If it be the Lord's will that we meet again. And Paul prays for them. There
in verse 12. Look here in verse 12. I'll wind
this up. And the Lord, here's his prayer. And the Lord make
you to increase and abound in love toward one another and toward
all men, even as we do toward you. This is my prayer, that
you would increase in love toward one another. You know, there
is absolutely nothing that will bond a family together like love. Nothing. That's why Paul prayed
that your love would increase. It will withstand every weather. It will withstand all persecution. No matter how hot the persecution
is, it will withstand it. It will keep the family together.
Love will. Nothing will hold a family together
like that. And Paul says here in verse 13, To the end he may
establish your hearts. May the Lord cause you to increase
in love, here's what he's saying, that he may cause you to increase
in love, that he may establish you blameless in the day of judgment. If the love of God is shed abroad
in your heart and it grows, it will establish your walk before
God If His love is established in your heart, if it grows in
your heart, if the love of God is shed abroad in your heart,
it will establish your walk before God and your conduct before men. If love is missing, you're just
an empty shell. Your walk and talk will go right
out the door. But if love is, if you grow in
love, if that's shed abroad in the heart and you grow in it,
I'm telling you, it'll establish the conduct of the whole church. You don't have to put ten commandments
up here. You don't have to do it. If you
love one another, you'll do everything under the sun for one another.
And you will walk before God in holiness and unblameableness. And holiness is true since there's
sober-mindedness. sincerity of heart, walking before
God because you love Him, because you love your Father. Unblameable in holiness before
God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ
with all the saints that are all coming with Him. One writer said this, as we are
to appear before Him Even so, we should live before Him now. Unblameable. If love rules in
the heart, if love rules in the heart, everything else will follow. If love rules in the heart, your
conduct, your walk, your talk, it'll all fall in place. Guarantee
it. That's why Paul said, I pray,
God, you grow in love. How many times did he say, I
pray that you grow in grace and in love? He never said, I pray
you grow in a deeper knowledge of election, a deeper knowledge
of perseverance. No, he said, I pray you grow
in. Doctrine is knowing some things.
True doctrine comes from Christ, but it's knowing some things.
Love is being something. Love is being something. It's
the difference between knowing something and being something. If it rules in the heart, everything
else will follow. And I tell you what, this is
my prayer for us, that you grow in love with one another.